Dunedin woman 'terrified' alleged secret filmer on bail

The 22-year-old defendant appeared in the Dunedin District Court charged with making an intimate visual recording and stealing $200 of underwear. Photo / File

A woman who was allegedly the target of a secret camera set up by her student boarder is "terrified'' now the man is on bail.

The 22-year-old defendant appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday charged with making an intimate visual recording and stealing $200 of underwear from the woman, with whom he had stayed for more than three years.

The Otago Polytechnic student was granted interim name suppression by Judge Michael Turner and given bail despite vehement opposition from the complainant's father, who made his antipathy clear during the hearing.

Outside court, he told the Otago Daily Times his daughter, who lived in her Dunedin home with her three young children, was distraught and had been unable to sleep since finding a "wee button camera'' on Friday aimed at the toilet.

The woman had gone to get toilet paper from under the hot-water cylinder and found the recording device on top of a bucket.

She had since changed the locks on the house.

"She's not just paranoid, she's terrified,'' her father said.

The alleged filming and theft took place between February 1 and last Friday, according to court documents.

The complainant's father said he was now concerned members of his "very loyal" family would seek retribution.

Seeing the student in the dock had also left him seething.

What made the alleged offending so sickening was the fact the family had embraced the defendant, he said.

"The kids idolised him ... I treated him like a son."

Since the weekend's revelations, the student's belongings had been packed up and sent to the polytechnic.

Among them was his passport, which Judge Turner ordered he surrender to authorities by 4pm today.

Other bail conditions included:

• To live at a specified Dunedin address on a 6pm-7am curfew.

• To present himself at the front door if requested by police.

•Not to go within 100m of the complainant's home.

•Not to have contact with persons under 16.

• Not to possess or use a device capable of taking still or moving images.